While it’s easy to feel defeated after spotting discouraging news headlines about women being overlooked in the latest Oscars drama (pun intended), let’s focus our attention elsewhere.
It’s still early in 2020, so we can start by ringing in this year by celebrating these women who have battled not only the battles typical of any entrepreneur but also those presented by a system working against them.
Fortunately, systematic changes are happening; it’s just at a very slow rate. Within this past year, California legislation passed a law that requires at least one woman to present on the boards of publicly held corporations by the end of 2019. That means women will finally begin to have a recognized place at a high corporate level, at least in one state.
Despite inevitable setbacks and pitfalls, women entrepreneurs, particularly, have been given a unique opportunity to sidestep that formidable glass ceiling. With a new wave of venture firms, their opportunity to get a solid jump start has much better odds than ever before. This growing trend of venture firms supporting women entrepreneurs has brought forward leaders such as Leadout Capital and Jane VC.
With innovative ideas and perspectives representing at least 50% of our population, it’s no wonder entrepreneurial women have found increasing success. According to one report, between 2014 and 2019, the number of women-owned businesses rose 21%. Even given the increase, there is still work to be done. The revenue earned by these women is not yet reaching the amounts generated by male-owned firms, even though over 40% of businesses are women-owned.
Changes are certainly trickling in. However, we must continue to fight to balance these inequalities in the world. According to a study by Harvard in 2014, investors preferred not only pitches coming from men but also those coming from attractive men. And if the Oscars is any testament, this might be a true sentiment in other industries as well.
Regardless of this unfortunate imbalance, women continue to work on breaking the glass ceiling that has long existed for their professional success. Taking that win from California and the growth of female dedicated venture firms, these gradual changes help pave the way for today’s women entrepreneurs and for the future successes of others.
Motivated to succeed, these women are willing to do what it takes to get to the next level. Often, that means managing a business, traveling, and maintaining a personal life. They are experts in time management and productivity.
Reservations.com sought out some of the most remarkable women entrepreneurs of today to uncover their top travel tips. Worth an honorable mention is the inclusion of Serena Williams, who has also started her own venture fund for women, people of color, and young entrepreneurs.
Serena has been wildly successful as an athlete. Her underground effort to build a system to support fellow women’s successes is a great example of women coming together to strengthen one another.
The list also features Whitney Wolfe, a key player in the female-empowering dating app Bumble.
The Class Pass founder Payal Kadakia shares her travel tips, such as keeping your favorite candy handy when you fly. She has not only made fitness a global trend but continues to be a voice for female entrepreneurs.
A two-in-one featuring both a travel queen and business founder, Jen Rubio, is featured for co-founding luggage brand Away. Developing the perfect kind of travel companion was not easy, but she made sure to surround herself with the right friends. Away earned $100.0M in Venture funding alone. How’s that for some motivation to break the odds set against you?
Check out the rest of the list to learn how these successful women manage their travel.
About the Author: Kristen Klepac is a world traveler who has climbed mountains in Poland, explored the ruins of Pompeii, and is currently on her way to settling down in and uncovering the wonders of France.
